Peanut-vender.



PATENTED PEB. 20, 1906A .8'. C. SIIVIEILING.` PEANUTVENDER. APPLIOATIQNFILED MAR.Z1,1905.

UNITED STATES PAfrnNrN orifice.

PEANUT-VENDER.

. Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 20, 1906.

Application ilefl March 27, 1905. Serial No. 252,192.

To LZZ whom, t may concern-.-

Be it known that l, JOHN CLINTON SIMER-v 'ments in Peanut-Venders, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvementsA in an apparatus wherebya predetermined bulk of peanuts or other small articles maybe withdrawnfrom a receptacle after the insertion in a slot of a coin, which alonewill render the movable parts of the apparatus operative for thatpurpose, as will hereinafter fully appear.

In the further description of the said invention which follows referenceis made to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, and inwhich- Figure 1 is an exterior front view of the apparatus, and Fig. 2 apartly-sectional side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan ofFig. 2, taken on the dotted line x Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively alongitudinal section and a partly-sectional plan of certain parts of theapparatus, Fig. 4 being a section of Fig. 5, taken on the dotted line yy.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 is the casing of the apparatus, whichmay be formed of sheet metal, having a hinged door a at the top. Theupper part of the casing serves as a hopper wherein the peanuts arestored, and the bottom b of the hopper is inclined in two directions, asshown in Figs. 1 and 2, in order that the contents of the hopper willmove by gravity toward the exit or discharge-opening c, formed in thebottom b at the rear of the casing 1.

3 is a table situated under and a short distance below the opening c inthe bottom b, upon which peanuts falling from the hopper will rest, asshown in Fig. 2.

5 is a guard formed of the connected plates e, e', and e2, secured tothe front and rear walls of the casing and the plate f, which is angularin cross section. The horizontal portion of the angle-plate f is securedto the table 3 by screws. The member e of the guard rests on the table3, While the members c and e2 are raised above the surface of the tableto admit of the operation of a carriage hereinafter described. Theconstruction of the guard, as described, is well shown in Figs. 4 and 5.In Fig. 4 the member e2 is shown dotted, for the reason that as the saidfigure is a section of Fig. 5 taken on the dotted line y y it would notappear in full lines.

7 is a carriage formed of the horizontal plate g with verticoal sideflanges 7L and 7V, adapted to slide under the members e and e2 of theguard 5, themember e having a vertical slot h2A (shown in Figs. 3 and 5)to accommodate the flange h. The carriage 7 is Well shown in Figs. 4 and5, in which it appears in longitudinal section and plan, respectively.The carriage may be moved backward, or in the direction indicated by thearrow in Fig. 3, by means of a sliding handle 9, the outer end of whichprojects through an aperture in the front wall of the casing 1, the saidhandle having a spur j on one edge adapted to come in Contact with oneof the flanges h of the carriage, as shown in Fig. 3. The forwardmovement of the carriage is also effected by the spring-held handle 9,but through the medium of a coin, which when deposited in the apparatusforms an effective connection between the two devices, as will behereinafter described. By reference to Figs. 2 and 3 it will be seenthat the inner end of the hande 9 is provided with a lug c, having ahorizontally-extending pin m, and that lthe flange of the carriage 7 hasa similar pin n, which is not in horizontal alinement with the pin m,(see Fig. 2,) so that the two pins do not engage when the handle 9 isdrawn forward; but should a coin of suitable size be placed between thesaid pins it will serve as a means of communicating motion from thehandle to the carriage. A coin (denoted by 20) is shown in Fig. 2 asoccupying the position just described.

12 is an inclined duct leading from the front wall of the casing to apoint directly over the space between the pins m and n.

13 is a lever fulcrumed at y) to a bracket 15 on the bottom of thecasing 1. The arm o of the lever 13 is provided with the curved prongsr, which project into the opening c and in the vibration of the leverserve to agitate the peanuts and prevent their becoming clogged in theopening. It is also iitted with a curved plate s, which enters anopening t in the table 3, and as the arm o of the lever is depressed thesaid curved plate passes through the said table and checks the forwardspread of the peanuts on the table. When the lever 13 is in its normalposition, or that illustrated in Fig. 2, the portion of the slot w inthe arm fv which is between the points y and z is hori- Zontal, and fromthe point z to the end the said slot has a differential incline, thesecond incline being on a radial liney extending from the end of thehorizontal portion of the slot.

17 is a pin which projects from the edge of the handle 9 and passesloosely into the slot w of the lever 13.

19 is a conduit leading from an aperture 21 in the table 3 and normallycovered by the carriage to an isolated chamber 22, formed in the frontwall of the casing.

23 is a cash-box situated at the forward end of the casing 1 and belowthe table 3, and 24 a conduit leading from an opening 25 in the table tothe cash box.

One side of the casing is provided with a removable door 27, securedbylocking-bolts 29,

which are only accessible when the door a is open. These bolts slide inbearings 30,v and their lower ends enter the lugs 32. (Shownparticularly in Fig. 3.)

Supposing the various parts of the apparatus to be in the relativepositions shown in Fig. 2', with a body of peanuts on the carriage 7 anda coin resting between the' pinsm and n, to obtain the peanuts it isonly necessary to draw the handle out toits fullest extent. In thisoperation the peanuts move with the carriage and upon reaching the platee of the guard are by that device swept from the carriage and fall intothe opening 21 and pass thence to the chamber 22, from which they may beremoved by hand. During the first part of this operation, or while thepin 17 is traversing the portion of the slot w in the arm 0 of the lever13 which is between the points y and e, no movement of the said lever isproduced,'but another supply of peanuts is liberated from the hopper andfalls to the table; but as the pin `passes beyond the point .e the armeof the lever is depressed and the prongs 1^ pushed into the mass ofpeanuts in the hopper, which operation prevents their becoming clogged.At the same time the curved plate 1s raised and the forward scatteringof the liberated peanuts checked, and this condition of the parts ismaintained until the pin 17 reaches the end of the slot. Upon therelease of the handle it, together with the carriage, is carried back bythe spring attached to the former and the carriage is pushed under theliberated peanuts ready toA be again carried forward, when another coinis inserted and the handle drawn out. To effect this loading of thecarriage without forcing any of the peanuts back into the hopper shouldthe hopper be nearly empty, the edge of the carriage is made sharp, andto prevent the carriage being drawn from under the peanuts by a suddenoutdrawing of the handle the upper surface of the carriage, near itsedge, is provided with a bead, as shown particularly in Figs. 4 and 5.Uniformity in the quantity of peanuts obtained at each operation of theapparatus, is maintained by reason of the liberated body assuming whatis termed the angle of repose, which is practically constant.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a peanut-vender, a hopper having adischarge-opening, and a table situated below the said hopper, combinedwith a carriage adapted to have a sliding movement on the table towardand from the said opening in the hopper, and means to sweep the contentsof the carriage from the carriage to a discharge-aperture in the tableat each outward movement of the carriage, substantially as specified.

2. In a peanut-vender, a hopper having a discharge-opening, combinedwith a table situated under the said hopper, the said table having adischargeaperture therein, combined with a carriage adapted to have asliding movement on the table, toward and from the said opening, meanswhereby the said carriage may be drawn forward and so disclose thedischarge-aperture, and a device to sweep the contents of the carriageover the edge of the same and into the discharge-aperture, substantiallyas speciiie'd.

lJOHN CLINTON SIMERING.

Witnesses:

OREGON MILTON DENNIS, WM. T..HoWARD.

